Spain flood epicentre survives fresh rain alert

Spain's traumatised Valencia region emerged unscathed from an urgent rain alert on Thursday, two weeks after the country's deadliest floods in decades killed more than 200 people there.

National weather agency AEMET downgraded the highest red warning for rain by two levels for the eastern Valencia coast after a new storm made landfall without causing victims.

Regional authorities in Valencia scrapped the closure of universities, schools, adult daycare centres and sports facilities as well as travel restrictions for private vehicles announced on Wednesday.

The high-speed rail line between Madrid and Valencia restarted for the first time since being suspended by the floods, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told reporters.

AEMET issued an orange warning for rain for swathes of the southern Andalusia region where schools and universities remained shut for more than 500,000 pupils on Thursday.

The latest storm has sparked the evacuation of around 4,000 residents in Andalusia, its leader Juanma Moreno said, adding their return on Thursday would be "very difficult".

The October 29 disaster killed 224 people -- almost all in the Valencia region -- as well as destroying homes, businesses and infrastructure.

The swift evacuations in and around the southern city of Malaga on Wednesday "likely saved many lives", said Jess Neumann, a hydrology professor at Britain's University of Reading.

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